Ransom Everglades School Upper Campus Special Area Plan G. Supporting Documents Ransom Everglades School Upper Campus Special Area Plan G1. Traffic Sufficiency Letter March 14,2014 To: Mr. Edelberto Perez, Planner II City of Miami, Planning Department 444 SW 2nd Avenue (3,d Floor) Miami, Florida 33130 Re: Ransom Everglades School- Traffic Operations (3575 Main Highway, Miami, FL) Sufficiency Letter - Office of Transportation Review Dear Mr. Perez, Upon review of the traffic analysis prepared by Traf Tech dated February, 2014 and the response to the City's comments received Febraury 26, 2014 (including a queue analysis, traffic operations plan, and an accumulation assessment), we have concluded that at this time the traffic impact report meets the traffic requirements and is found to be sufficient within the traffic engineering context. The following conditions, as specified in the Traffic Control Measures Plan (TCMP) provided by the aforementioned consultant shall be implemented in order for this sufficiency letter to remain valid: • Provide transit fare and schedule information of pertinent modes/routes in prominent public areas of the development • Encourage partiCipation in available rideshare programs • Promote subsidized and discount programs for employees using transit Should you have any questions, please call me at 305.416.1092. Sincerely, Assistant T nsportation Coordinator Capital Improvements & Transportation Program Cc: Ms. Amy E. Huber, Esq., Shubin & Bass, P.A. (fax: 954.582-0989) Mr. Antonio Perez, Planner II, City of Miami Planning (Fax: 305.416.2156) Ransom Everglades School Upper Campus Special Area Plan G1.1 Traffic Engineering Evaluation and Supporting Documents TralTech ENGINEERING. INC. January 8,2014 Amy E. Huber, Esq. Shubin & Bass, P.A. 46 S W 15t Street - Th ird Floor Miami, Florida 33130 Re: Ransom Everglades School- Traffic Engineering Evaluation Dear Amy: Per your request, Traf Tech Engineering, Inc. conducted a traffic statement associated with the existing Ransom Everglades School (Upper School Campus) located offofMain Highway in Coconut Grove, Miami-Dade County, Florida. The traffic statement has been prepared in connection with an application for a Special Area Plan for the subject educational facility. The study addresses trip generation and traffic circulation for the existing and proposed site plan configurations. The proposed modifications to the existing conditions provide improved parking and more-efficient internal circulation during the critical drop-off and pick-up peak periods. Tdp Generation A trip generation comparison analysis was perfonned using the trip generation rates published in the Institute of Transportation Engineer's (ITE) Trip Generation Manual (9th Edition). The trip generation comparison analysis was undertaken for daily, AM peak hour, and PM peak hour conditions. The analysis was based on the following assumptions: EXISTING LAND USE AND INTENSITY o High School (608 students) PROPOSED LAND USE AND INTENSITY o High School (608 students) According to lTE's Trip Generation Manual (9th Edition), the trip generation rates used for the existing and proposed land uses are: PRIVATE SCHOOL ([TE Land Use 536) Daily Trip Generation T= 2.48 (X) Where T = number of daily trips X = number of students 8400 North University Drive, Suite 309. Tamarac, Florida 33321 Tel: (954) 582-0988 Fax: (954) 582-0989 G.1 TralTech ENGINEERING, INC. AM Peak Hour T = 0.81 (X)(61% inbound and 39% outbound) Where T = number of AM peak hour trips X = number of students PM Peak Hour o/Generator (School's Exiting Peak Hour) T = 0.58 (X) (42% inbound and 58% outbound) Where T = n urn ber of PM peak hour trips X = number of students Using the above-listed rates from the ITE document, a trip generation comparison analysis was undertaken between the existing and proposed land uses. The results of the trip generation comparison analysis between the existing and proposed uses are documented in Table I. TABLE! Trip Generation Comparison Analysis Ransom Everelades School Number of Trips Land Use Size Daily I AM Peak I PM Peak EXISTING LAND USE High School 608 Students 1,508 I 492 I 353 PROPOSED LAND USE High School 608 Students 1,508 I 492 I 353 I Difference 0 I 0 o o SOl/rce: ITE Trip Generation Manllal (9,), Edition) As indicated in Table I, the proposed modifications to the school will not create any additional trips to the surrounding street system. Internal Site Circulation The current internal circulation of the Ransom Everglades School is depicted in Figure I. As shown in Figure 1, the school currently has two drop-offlpick-up areas. The total number of school vehicles that can drop-off/pick-up students at the same time is approximately 4 to 5 cars between the two areas. The current internal circulation presents several less-than-desirable tmffic issues as illustrated in Figure I. These traffic issues are outlined below: o Two pedestrian-vehicle contlict areas. 2 G.1 TralTach ENGINEERING, INC. o The internal circulation uses parking aisles and thereby creates potential conflicts between circulating vehicles and vehicles wishing to park/un-park. o One point of merge condition between two exiting traffic streams. o One point of potential traffic blockage. That is, when vehicle queues associated with the drop-off/pick-up area I extend pass the diverge point shown in the figure, vehicles wishing to access the drop-off/pick-up area 2 cannot do so due to stopped vehicles. The modified internal circulation for the school is presented in Figure 2. As illustmted in the figure, the drop-offlpick-up areas can accommodate up to 60% more vehicles than the current conditions. Therefore, the drop-off/pick-up operation associated with the modified plan will be significantly more efficient than current conditions. Moreover, the modified plan does not have conflicts between parked vehicles and circulating tmffic or pedestrians and circulating vehicles. No merge conditIon or areas of potential traffic blockage are provided with the modified plan. [n summary, the proposed changes to the internal traffic circulation and parking areas of the existing Ransom Everglades School result in no increase in tmffic impacts, improved on-site efficiency during the critical drop-off and pick-up peak periods, and improves on­ site safety from both pedestrian (students) and vehicular standpoints. Please give me a call if you have any questions. 3 G.1 (S) Traffic Circulation FIGURE 1 TratT8ch Ransom Everglades ENGINEERING, INC. EXISTING TRAFFIC CIRCULATION Coral Gables, Florida G.1 CS) ,~ , Access ErtERGEHCY ACa:SS Traffic Circulation FIGURE 2 Irafl8ch Ransom Everglades ENGINEERING, INC. MODIFIED (IMPROVED) TRAFFIC CIRCULATION Coral Gables, Florida G.1 TralTech ENGINEERING , INC. February 3,2014 Amy E. Huber Esq. Shubin & Bass, P.A. 46 SW pI Street - Third Floor Miami, Florida 33130 Re: Ransom Everglades School- Response to Traffic Comments Dear Amy: Traf Tech Engineering, Inc. is pleased to address the following comments provided by the City of Miami in connection with the Ransom Everglades School: o Please provide a queue analysis for the proposed drop-off/pick-up locations o Consider providing an existing parking utilization analysis to demonstrate that the reduced availability would not result in an increase drop-off/pick-up traffic o Please provide detailed operational plan for drop-off/pick-up to include the proposed access on Royal Road Queuing Analysis As indicated in the January 8, 2014 traffic engineering evaluation report prepared by Traf Tech Engineering, Inc., the drop-off/pick-up areas can accommodate approximately 60% more vehicles than the current conditions. This will result in less queuing than the existing conditions during the peak traffic periods. Moreover, the proposed site plan eliminates numerous conflict points making the drop-off and pick-up operation more efficient, thereby reducing the traffic queues. As documented in the subsequent "Parking Impacts" Section of this letter report, approximately 58 additional students will be required to park off site which would reduce the number of vehicles arriving at the school site during the critica I school's peak periods and thereby, reducing further the traffic queues. Parking Impacts Currently, the school has more parking spaces on campus than required by Code. There are 268 parking spaces on site. The 268 parking spaces are broken down as follows: o 15 parking spaces for vis itors o 126 parking spaces for faculty and staff o 127 parking spaces for students 8400 North University Drive, Suite 309, Tamarac, Florida 33321 Tel: (954) 582-0988 Fax: (954) 582-0989 TralTech ENGINEERING, INC. Additionally, approximately 100 junior students park off-site. The proposed site plan will provide 210 on-site parking spaces as required by Code. With the new site plan, the school is committed to park an additional 58 students off site or to provide additional parking on site in the parking zone in either a parking garage or underground parking. This will result in no parking impacts associated with the proposed site plan. Operations Plan The access connection off of Royal Road will not be used for drop-off/pick-up operation. Therefore, there will be no access changes to parents during the critical drop-off and pick-up peak periods. Main Highway will continue to be used to be the sole access point for drop-off and pick-up. Please give me a cal1 if you have any questions. in E. Vargas, P.E. r Transportation 2 TrafTech ENGINEERING, INC. Amy E. Huber, Esq. February 26, 2014 Shubin & Bass, P.A. 46 SW 15t Street - Third Floor Miami, Florida 33130 Re: Ransom Everglades School- Response to Traffic Comments Dear Amy: Traf Tech Engineering, Inc. is pleased to address the following comments provided by the City of Miami in connection with the Ransom Everglades School: Comment: Provide Traffic Study and comments to the Miami-Dade County Traffic Schools. Response: We will be submitting a vehicle accumulation study to Miami-Dade County for review and approval.